The Asian Ladybug Beetle (Harmonia axyridis) was brought to the United States to control aphid and scale insect infestations. It is now reaching pest-like proportions overtaking native Ladybug populations.
The Asian Ladybug Beetle has a variable number of black spots (from zero to twenty) on orange to red wing covers. Extreme forms can be all black (one big spot) or all orange / red (no spots).
While variable as well, it has a characteristic black "M" on its pronotum (body segment between the wings and the head).
The Asian Ladybug Beetle is also known as the Halloween Ladybug. This not because of its coloration, but rather, because it comes into the household to over-winter in late October.
